Sexual Power and Its Role in the Life of Harriet Brent Jacobs

Sexual Power and Its Role in the Life of Harriet Brent Jacobs
The true to life story, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, that Harriet Brent Jacobs shares about the hardships she endured under the constraints of slavery is inspiring, thought provoking, and impossible not to read all at once. Throughout her writing she describes many instances pertaining to encounters of a sexual nature. While some of those encounters are controlled, most are instances of sexual assault at the hands of her owner, Dr. James Norcom, referred to as Dr. Flint throughout the story. While it is obvious that this cruel injustice would have atrocious effects upon Ms. Jacobs, there is far more to consider when contemplating the issue of sexuality and the ways that it was used throughout the narrative of Ms. Jacobs’ life.
Reading through the text you can envision the effects this type of sexuality had on the female slave, as Ms. Jacobs paints a harrowing picture of just that with her words. In Part V. ‘The Trials of Girlhood’ Ms. Jacobs writes about Dr. Flint, “Sometimes he had stormy, terrific ways, that made his victims tremble (African American Literature).” She went on in the second paragraph of that section to describe how the doctor constantly tormented her with threats of what was to come and with reminders that she belonged to him. She felt as if she was never out of his sight or presence. The fear that slave girls, especially those who were seemingly cursed with attractiveness, must have been completely overwhelming. I would assume that they never knew a moments rest because they were always anticipating the next attack. Perhaps it kept many of them from ever having a meaningful relationship with a man of their own choice. Sexual assault affects different women in many different ways. According to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health, “Women who are sexually abused may suffer serious health problems, such as sexually transmitted infections, stomach problems, and ongoing pain. They also are at risk for emotional problems, like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.”
The problems didn’t stop with the victim; the families of the victim and the assailant also felt the effects of the evil deeds that were transpiring. As the wife of Dr. Flint realized his attraction to Linda Brent, the name Ms. Jacobs referred to herself in her story, and found out about the acts he was forcefully committing with Linda, she became hostile and angry. This was not the first account of infidelity that Dr. Flint had performed with a slave woman under his ownership. Mrs. Flint already had a cold and bitter heart towards the victims of her husband’s abuse but did make an effort to marry Linda off to a free black carpenter after Linda came to her seeking protection. This plan did not work, as Dr. Flint would not allow Linda to purchase her freedom, and Mrs. Flint was left in a state of jealousy and contempt, gossiping all over the town about the unsavory character of Linda. Linda’s family was affected by this gossip. Her grandmother heard the whispers about Linda floating around the ears of the townspeople and as a result, gave Dr. Flint a piece of her mind. Linda’s grandmother was a very upstanding and moral person so the gossip she had been hearing was sure to have broken her heart and worried her to no end. Linda was lucky in this respect, as there had been other accounts of sexual abuse that had resulted in pregnancy and the enslaved husband was severely beaten after accusing his wife of carrying Dr. Flint’s child. Both were traded away, even after Dr. Flint had promised to take care of the slave woman and the child that he had fathered. In another account Ms. Jacobs recalls, she saw a young slave girl dying after giving birth to a child who father was white while being mocked and harassed by her scorned mistress. Both the mother and baby died in the presence of the girl’s mother. The sorrow that girl’s mother must have felt is unimaginable. After seeing those things happen, Ms. Jacobs was always fearful of what Dr. Flint might do to her children and other family members to take revenge upon her.
Linda eventually involves herself with an unmarried white man in an attempt to push Dr. Flint’s interests elsewhere. When she is found out to be pregnant, the doctor is speechless and abandons his plan to move Linda out into the country where he can abuse her as he pleases. Linda apologizes many times throughout the story for going against what her moral character tells her to do. Linda did not want to be anything less than a virtuous woman, but had no choice other than to devise a plan to keep Dr. Flint from moving her away for his malicious purposes. Had there been any other option, other than planning to conceive outside of wedlock, she would have taken that path. Linda was pained by the bad light she was casting upon her family, especially where her grandmother was concerned. Linda appeals to the readers for forgiveness and reminds them of all that drove her to make this decision: the vile words Dr. Flint had spoken to her for so long, the childhood that was taken away from her and replaced with evil, the mistreatment of her at the hands of a jealous wife and tyrannical master. To even feel as if she owed an apology to anyone under such circumstances speaks volume of what her true character was.
Ms. Jacobs also showed a different side to the reaction of female slaves to being sexually assaulted than that which was previously written about by Frederick Douglass and William Wells Brown (African American Literature). She shed light on how those women tried to escape those situations with what little power they held within that society. Maybe some of the dominant white people believed that African females just did as they were told without question because they were nothing more than a piece of property. Perhaps those people even believed in the entitlement to such sexual activities and didn’t view such as assault. Ms. Jacobs made it very clear how horrible it was to be placed in such a position and how those advances were unwanted and unmerited.
Mrs. Jacobs displayed great courage in disclosing all the happening of a sexual nature throughout her story. She knew that there would be readers who looked down upon her for using her own sexual power to scorn Dr. Flint and for giving in to such behavior as a solution. Dr. Flint’s force of sexual power destroyed his family, his marriage, and his reputation. The greatest damage was done to all of the victims he left behind; the young women, the illegitimate children, and the distraught husbands. Such experiences could never be forgotten. Mrs. Jacobs’ use of sexual power left behind a path of destruction as well. Her grandmother was beyond hurt, the children lacked a father and were tossed to and fro throughout a large part of their lives, and I don’t think she was ever able to forgive herself for the actions she took. While the main lesson to be learned in her story is that enslaving another human being is among the most, if not the most, abominable sins one can commit against another, let is also be learned that the abuse of sexual power leaves nothing but a trail of victims and sad circumstances.

Works Cited
Gates Jr., Henry L. and Nellie Y. McKay, eds. The Norton Anthology of African American
Literature. 2nd ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company Ltd, 2004.

“Violence Against Women.” Women’s Health. 18 May 2011. U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services Office on Women’s Health. 04 Nov. 2012 .

Cited: Gates Jr., Henry L. and Nellie Y. McKay, eds. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. 2nd ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company Ltd, 2004. “Violence Against Women.” Women’s Health. 18 May 2011. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health. 04 Nov. 2012 .